Yamaha G6sb G5 1970-71 Cafe Racer Tail Light #2856 on 2040-parts.com

White Van Man numbers booming

THE ADVANCE of White Van Man is accelerating, according to figures highlighted by the RAC Foundation. Between 2002 and 2012 the number of light vans on the roads increased by 29% to 3.3 million. During the same period, the increase in cars was 11%, with one in 10 vehicles on the roads now a light commercial vehicle.

Last call for entries: IM Design Awards

As the deadline for entries to the 2010 Interior Motives Design Awards approaches – all designs must be received by 10 July – details of the judging panel and the upcoming awards ceremony in Paris are firming up. Judging the hundreds of student designs this year will be a panel of industry experts that includes such influential figures as Amko Leenarts, Interior Design Director, Peugeot; Robin Page, Interior Design Director, Bentley; Wolfgang Müller-Pietralla, Leader VW Future Research; Michael Robinson, Design Director, Stile Bertone; Andreas Stump, Head of Advanced Interior Design, Citroën; Romulus Rost, Chief Interior Designer, Volkswagen Advanced Design, Potsdam; and Euan Sey, Editor of Interior Motives magazine. The competition is open to students enrolled at any accredited undergraduate or graduate design degree programme, both in automotive and non-automotive disciplines – those studying fashion design, industrial design, architecture and other similar fields are also eligible.

Maserati Levante SUV – 525bhp & Made in Italy

The Maserati Levante – the production version of the Kubang Concept SUV – is based on the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and it was planned to be built in the US alongside the Jeep, but demand for the new Grand Cherokee means Maserati will be building the Levante in Italy instead. Which will probably do its credentials no harm at all. Nor will its engine offerings, which will include the new 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6 from the Ghibli with around 400bhp, the new diesel engine from the Ghibli (and perhaps Fiat’s new V8 diesel when that arrives) and the thumping twin-turbo V8 from the Quattroporte with a round 525bhp.